October 20, 2016

When It’s Time to Close, Do It Fast

It’s something every green salesperson learns in their first few weeks on the job: When the customer is ready to buy, go for the close.

Recruiting is just another form of sales. When you are recruiting an executive to join your team, you’re selling the job opportunity and the company. When you find the right candidate, and she’s ready to say yes, close the deal right away. Delay dramatically increases the odds something will go wrong.

What kinds of things?

First, your chosen candidate might find another attractive opportunity while you’re taking your time putting together an offer. That’s especially true in today’s hyper-competitive talent market. In other words, delay might create the opportunity for another company to swoop in and eat your lunch.

You may also sow doubt in the mind of the candidate you worked so hard to identify and court. He may begin to question if you really want him, or take offense at the slow pace, or simply wonder what internal dysfunctions are preventing the company from moving forward promptly.

The best candidates are always the most at-risk, because they have other options. So when it’s time to close, do it fast.